Highly Suspect
14th November 2023
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Feature photograph by Shelley Te Haara.
Round two.
For many in the audience last night, this was the second time they were seeing Highly Suspect in the space of three days. And all agreed, Sunday night’s show at Trusts Arena was amazing, but last night at Tāmaki Makaurau’s Powerstation was next level live music.
With bodies pressed up against each other in anticipation for the arrival of the boys, Powerstation erupted as Johnny and co appeared, smiles all round on everyone’s faces. Dressed in a black hoodie tucked over a MCID cap, Johnny took front, and centre flanked by Rich and Matt, with Ryan and Mark bringing up the rear on drums and keys respectively.
‘Claudeland’ exploded from the stage, that rock n roll vibe like ten thousand volts of electricity that shot through the crowd and sent the floor into a frenzy, the end of the song lulling them into a sway with a deep cut of blues.
One song in and it was undeniable, tonight’s show was going to be epic, the band seemingly relaxed and in tune with themselves and each other; a natural fluidity that coursed through their veins and out through their instruments.
‘Bloodfeather’ the first of a handful of big singles that were included on the set list, had the crowd matching Johnny word for word, his relaxed stance and animated hands during parts of the song indicating just how much he was enjoying being ensconced within a smaller venue going almost toe to toe with the fans pressed up against the barrier; Rich throwing down some serious falsetto vocals during the chorus. Addressing the crowd Johnny spoke of how the next track entitled ‘Blue Eyed Devil’ was debuted in New Zealand at the Sunday show and seeing how it was only the second time they would be playing it live there might be a few mistakes.
Hollering their support of the song being played Johnny grinned and dedicated it as forever being “New Zealand’s song”. Adding to the already growing excitement Johnny stated that they would be debuting another new track at the Christchurch show tomorrow night (Editor – You lucky little things!)
‘Canals’ with its unmistakable opening guitar riff once again had the patrons heaving to the beat as Johnny sang of the atrocities committed against the Pussy Riot girls and disappearing into the night on a dirt bike (seems he has definitely upgraded from the old BMX); Rich soon displaying his ability to be front man as ‘Lost’ saw him take over vocals on the swinging rock song.
This seems to have become a bit of a thing now at live shows, and it is definitely a feature that should stay. Rich Meyer suits the track and does a damn good job at singing it, allowing Johnny to have a bit of fun prowling the stage.
Undeniably one of the biggest hits of the night was ‘Serotonia’, the band slowly building up to the recognisable opening notes, Johnny keeping them hanging and the crowd choosing to sing the first verse regardless, Johnny then leading them into it and enjoying every second of hearing the crowd scream lines about being naked and masturbating all day at home.
Moving into the bridge of the song, and Johnny let loose on his Gretsch White Falcon, his guitar skills during any live set impeccable, but tonight they were just ethereal as he elicited soundscapes that moved across the stage and enveloped those around him. Playing off against Matt Kofos, who seemed to be almost feeding off the energy around him, the duo became lost in the moment as at one point Johnny hunched over the strings as he pulled from them notes that were complex and rich, yet simultaneously crisp.
These are in all honesty some of the best parts of a Highly Suspect show, when the band just plays off each other and allows their front man to have the freedom to express himself through his guitars; ushering in a little ‘Breathe’ from Pink Floyd and the song moves back into itself to bring it home.
A trio of ‘Bath Salts’, the heart-wrenching ‘Wolf’ with lyricism that speaks to one’s soul and of course ‘Lydia’ from their debut album Mister Asylum released back in 2015 took the set into ‘Suicide Machine’ another new track that will apparently feature on the highly anticipated new album. Going by what fans have already heard being played live, it is going to be an album that will be a must have for anyone that has good taste in music.
The obligatory encore game allowed the crowd to show their love for their favourite band as they chanted for Highly Suspect to return to the stage. Launching into ‘My Name is Human’ a few members in the audience put up their phone lights, Johnny taking his cue, called for the house lights to be turned off, everyone cheering as the room was plunged into darkness, hundreds of phone lights illuminating the room as Johnny sang the line “And I came down from the stars” with a voice that penetrated the dark and reached to the very back of the venue.
A brooding track it was punchy and powerful, but this is Highly Suspect and they were determined to finish the show on a high that would leave their fans sated. Launching straight into ‘Look Alive, Stay Alive’, the song sped straight into ‘Pink Lullabye’, the crowd unleashing everything as strobe lights pierced the air and Johnny bounced on the stage, keyboardist Mark Schwartz tearing it up and Ryan wielding the sticks like a man possessed.
Seconds later Matt Kofos launched himself backwards off the stage while still playing guitar, the crowd catching him and holding him up as he continued to play.
As the tune came to a crashing end the room burst into screams of heartfelt appreciation, the band lined the front of the stage and handed out pics, sticks and set lists to those that had shown their dedication on the barrier for the entirety of the show.
Highly Suspect are a band that know what it means to deliver a live performance that not only feels deeply personal but displays a musical prowess and cohesiveness that most bands could only dream of. Beg, steal or sell your first-born child for a ticket as this is a tour you do not want to miss.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this special intimate rock gig? Or have you seen Highly Suspect perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Highly Suspect are performing a few more shows around the country over the next few days and are mostly sold out. However, the Wellington show at TSB Arena on Sunday 19th November has limited tickets left, so we whole-heartedly recommend getting yourself to that show any way possible!
Setlist:
- Claudeland
- Mexico
- Summertime Voodoo
- Bloodfeather
- Blue Eyed Devil
- Canals
- New California
- Lost
- Serotonia
- Bath Salts
- Wolf
- Lydia
- Suicide Machine
- My Name is Human [encore]
- Look Alive, Stay Alive [encore]
- Pink Lullabye [encore]
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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Too busy enjoying the show I guess